CSA Week 4

Yesterday was “one of those days”.  You know the kind.  People getting on your last nerve, right when you think you have things under control . . . pouf!!! craziness!  It was a long day.  Then I walked home and halfway home the sky opened up and what felt like a monsoon poured down.  Exaggeration, yes, but that umbrella?  Of no use when the rain is coming at me sideways.  I arrived home with my hair and shirt plastered to myself, my pant legs sloshing atop my very wet feet.  I arrived home to no power.  Yeah, it was one of those kinds of days.

But it got better.  We drove to pick up our CSA (it’s times like this that I am ever so grateful I own a car, I told myself when we bought it (very much used) to never stop being grateful, and so far so good!), and the sky cleared up and the sun came out.  The day just kept getting better.  We heated up leftovers for dinner on a camp stove sitting on the balcony, then I got to work taking care of all the goodies we got this week, trying to be good about washing everything and bagging it up because it seems like that is the way to go to keep everything fresh and crisp.

As you can see from the picture, it definitely was “one of those days”. The little cat is a blur, there’s a random sandal hanging out . . . yeah. What you don’t see is my wet hair and the puddle underneath my purse.

This week we got:

• lettuce
• kale
• brocoli
• kohlrabi
• garlic scapes
• cucumbers (x4!)
• zucchini (x3!)
• green onions
• spinach
• napa cabbage
• cilantro

I can’t wait to use the cilantro to make something mexican inspired.  And maybe some in a mango salad (very simple: chunks of mango, red onion, red pepper flakes, a bit of fish sauce and chopped cilantro).  Maybe even some zucchini bread.   I once made zucchini brownies with a recipe from a cousin.  They were good, but not as good as zucchini bread.  I haven’t quite found a favorite yet though.  Anyone have a favorite zucchini bread recipe to share?

We’ve already had cucumber in our lunch, check it out below.  We had salad with lettuce, shredded carrot, green onion, chicken, avocado and hard boiled eggs, and on the side cucumbers and cherries.

And what did I do with last week’s produce?  

Highlights included a very delicious and quick Garlic Shrimp and Spinach Pasta (I used a bit less cream than the recipe because that’s what I had leftover from a recipe and it was still delicious).  Someone asked last week about napa cabbage: so far I’ve used some in a stir fry, and also some to make coleslaw:

With the swiss chard I made fritatta in a cast iron skillet that I ate reheated for breakfast a few days this week.  I also sauteed up the beet greens and kohlrabi green with some onions, maple syrup and soy sauce and ate it with a fried egg for breakfast a couple of other days: